WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court today handed down a decision in Relentless v. Department of Commerce and Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, two cases that could result in a transfer of power from the Executive and Legislative branches to the Trump-dominated Supreme Court, giving activist justices who are out of touch with Americans a freer hand to overturn decisions from every federal agency. The decision overturned more than four decades of precedent established in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which enshrined the value of agencies’ role in rulemaking and threatens settled regulations that protect every aspect of life: our jobs and union membership, the air we breathe, the small businesses that are the lifeblood of our American economy, the safety of drugs and medical devices, and so much more.
Federal courts have used this doctrine to defer to a federal agency’s reasonable interpretation of an unclear statute—based on the premise that qualified experts at these agencies are better situated to address any ambiguities than judges. In its ruling today, the Supreme Court sets the stage for nothing less than a catastrophic regulatory environment, and irreparably harms the division of our coequal branches of government by allowing non-expert judges to act as the policymakers themselves.
The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle:
“The Supreme Court MAGA supermajority that helped suppress the vote, restricted the rights of workers, and made it harder to keep our communities safe from gun violence, has now granted themselves blanket authority to rewrite the rules in favor of the billionaires and major corporations—while leaving the American people to pay the price. Educators, students, working families, and communities across the country will bear the burden as corporations have been handed the power to attack the critical protections and services Americans rely on.
“Sadly, this decision is just another example of corporations and billionaires using an unaccountable MAGA Supreme Court to dismantle federal agencies, roll back our basic freedoms and undermine the basic balance of power that upholds our republic. This ruling will make it harder for ordinary, everyday Americans to work safely, live healthy lives, and avoid financial exploitation.”
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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.
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